NEA and The SCEA comment on disturbing South Carolina high school video

WASHINGTON - October 28, 2015 -

Today, the presidents of the National Education Association and The South Carolina Education Association commented on a disturbing video of a school resource officer forcefully removing a student from a classroom in Spring Valley High School in Columbia, South Carolina.

The following statement can be attributed to Lily Eskelsen García, president of the National Education Association, and Bernadette R. Hampton, president of The South Carolina Education Association.

“For the past year and a half we have been barraged with images of systemic violence in our communities. This must end now.

“Whether from Baltimore, Ferguson, or McKinney, students across the nation have been impacted and bring the trauma of these events with them to school every day. As educators we expect our schools to be safe places where students can grow and learn.

“We were appalled once again when we saw the video of a brutal attack against a young Black female student as she sat in her classroom in Columbia, South Carolina.

“It is past time that all schools have policies and practices to deescalate conflicts and create safe school climates. We know it has been done with success and we look to those examples where students are treated with humanity, dignity and respect.

“We know there is much work to be done. Therefore, we are convening a national call with educators from across the country to discuss how we can demand and foster change – in our schools and in ourselves. We cannot wait. We will not wait.”

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The National Education Association (www.nea.org) is the nation's largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators and students preparing to become teachers.

The South Carolina Education Association (The SCEA) is the professional association for educators in South Carolina. Classroom teachers, guidance counselors, librarians, principals, superintendents as well as bus drivers, teaching assistants, lunch room operators, maintenance engineers, clerks and secretaries from Pre-K to 12th grade and Higher Education are members of The SCEA.

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